The holy city of Antioch
Driving into Antakya, Turkey with my friends Jason and Rodney, I saw more Arabic and Middle East influences than any where else in Turkey. The signs of Humusci’s (Hommus Makers) are scattered throughout the city. Kunefe, a traditional Arab dessert, was found everywhere, and was some of the best in Turkey according to Rodney who “lived on it” in Iraq. With only about 30 miles between... [Read more]
Christmas in Kayseri
I thought nothing would out do my two Thanksgivings last month, but I found myself in a Christmas marathon last December. And unbelievably, it was in Kayseri where the number of people who celebrate “the December 25th Christmas” can probably be counted on two hands. Note: not a scientific or accurate measurement by any means. I say “December 25th Christmas” because there’s a need to do... [Read more]
A night at the taxi stand
(This article was first published on December 11, 2009 for the Study Abroad section at Global Post. View the original article here.) On a corner across from the Turkish prime minister’s grand residence lays the humble shed of what drives Ankara’s society: its taksiciler, or taxi drivers. Like many big cities, Turkey’s capital depends on a mammoth fleet of taxis. Cars and gas are too costly... [Read more]
1,000 visit milestone achieved…keep it up
1,000 hits...not nearly as painful as I feared. On December 5, 2009 at 10:46pm, Turk Film project had it’s 1,000th visitor. Since debuting the site last June, Turk Film has had 1,048 visitors with 2,331 page views. The average visit seems low at 3:07 minutes, but the tracking system cannot calculate how long visitors stay if they only view one page. I want to thank all of you regulars who continue... [Read more]
Sacrifice holiday turns Turkey blood red
Cars and trucks blow up dust as they caravan their way into a barren valley on the city’s edge. A cow groans while chained to a post. Nearby is a field soaked in blood. Sheepskins and various organs lie in piles, a few heads that haven’t been tossed stare up into the sky. It’s Kurban Bayram, the Sacrifice Holiday. Eid al-Adha in Arabic, it is the 4-day climax of the Islamic calendar.... [Read more]